Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-06-30
Riding Against Death.
A Boy Engine er's Terrible Race With a
Lightning Express.

A Boy Engine er's Terrible Race With a
Lightning Express.
June wide-Awake
| A ffteen-year old son of locomotive
| engineer had often ridden with his
father, and knew the engine poorly WE'LL
Indeed the engineer had often let the boy
"drive" on long stretch of a straight
| track.
One night he left Dave in charge of
the engine on siding, while he went to
supper as usual. There came up a furi-
Gus wiud, and after little some cars shot
by without any engine. The wind had
started them. Boy, think quick; Down
grade! The lightning express is to come
that way!
Nobody near. No telegraph wire. The
trains are headed togeather. There is
less than ten minutes to catch those run
away cars and pull them out of the way.
No time for hesitation. He springs to
the lever, picks up steam and tears away
with grade and wind and steam like a
whizzing arrow.
They are miles ahead. The rushing
minutes are full of sudden comprehen-
sion. He almost sees through the dark,
tempestuos night. What set him flying
towards shis plunge was thought of the
lightning Express. Now danger takes
hold of him. What if he is Just too late
The runaway train is in sight! OFF steam
No, on again! Let the story teller tell the
| rest.
| He must slow up, but do it so NIGEL;
| that when he does come up with them
there shall be the least possible shock, for
here is the hardest piece of the business.
He has no one TO help him couple" He
must be. for the nonce, both engineer
and switchman. He had not thought
what formidable JOB this was until it
stared him in the face.
| On he flew, revolving the situation in
his head and ajusting his engine with
the incest care until he was upon the very
heels of the runaway; then, with many
mlsgivings, slipped out of the engine
house and crawled along the side of the
| locomotive and down on the ''cow-
catcher"
Here, Selling the long coupler in ono
hand and holding on with the other, he
stood watching with breathless interest
the approaching collision. The sussence
was agOnizing. The situation was peril
GUS. A gust of wind might sweep him
from his place; he might be shaken off or
crushed.
Hs was almost panic stricken. dozen
times he was at the point of turning back
10 his startled ear the air was full of u n
canny sounds-the sweep of another tor
nado, the rush of the "Lightnipg" just
ahead. But he had in him the stuff which
heroes are made of. The hsroe, re-
member is not he who is insencible to
danger, but rather he who feels and real
ICES, but overcomes it.
The "Meteor" drew nearer and nearer
the flying train. Dave had used excellent
judgement in regulating his speed, for at
length 1t came up with the rear car with
scarcely shock, SO that Dave could reach
over and drop in the pin.
Then clambering back into the engine
house with trembling eagerness he seized
the "throttle" To his amazement the
train did not stop. Instead of the ''Met-
teor" stopping the runaway, the runaway
dragon the sMeteor" along in its head
long might. Dave was horror struck He
He had not calculated what tremendous
impetus all these heavy cars had &C
quired.
Now, then, the tussle. The train be-
gan to slow up. It came to standstill.
Then the backward pull. Slowly they got
under way, but the wind and upgrade
were against them.
Dave began to get anxious. The "Light-
ming" must be due by this time. He
kept a sharp lookout behind and whist
led like mad around the curves. At
length he en6ered upon the long, str
aight, level line of road which extended
clear to Blankton. Dave breathed freer.
It was the home-stretch, a good ten-nlile
run.
Hardly had he congratulated himsel
when far behind-but Enthusiastically
heard the scream of the 'Llghtuing's"
whistle. He was geiIg already at his
topmost speed. He was making not NOR
than thirty-fve miles an hour, while the
"Lightning" was coming on at the
rate of sixty. With horror he heard
it gaining on him. The next whistle was
nearer, and at length, When he had made
only two thirds the distance, the gleam
of it's headlight came shooting round a
wooded curve in his rear.
Out of the very dispair of the moment
Dave gathered calmness. He turned his
back on the pursuing train, he cast III
look behind he shut his ears to its on
coming roar, looked straight ahead. kept
his eye on the track, his mind on his
duty.
He is almost there-he is there, he
dashes past the station house, across the
switch and down at last upon the
side track.
It is all right. Jake and Jim are there
They haze thrown the switch back in
time, and the "Ligbtning" goes whizzing
and shrieking past.
When Jake jumped aboard the sMe-
teor" mis- son tainted dead away in his
arms.
'Mohair', Shoes.
Boston Herald